>> it will slow things down for the morning commute. you can see the package of the precipitation in western maryland. for this morning, rain is likely. it is chilly. we might recover with the temperature after the sun comes up. it will be much colder than the last couple of days. a big change temperature-wise. >> good morning. wet leaves could be an issue for your morning commute. we have water main closures and that includes madison and the j.f.x. ramp to guilford avenue. continued closures on charles street because of the water main break.

you may need some extra time because the roads are wet. nine minutes on 895 down to the tunnel. moving well at this early hour. here's a quick, live look at traffic. you can see the water droplets on the camera. here's a quick, live look at traffic. no delays at greenspring. the entire beltway running smoothly despite the rain. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> a baltimore city police officer is suspended. >> allegations he assaulted an 18-year-old woman. kim dacey has more? >> officer elliott simon has been suspended without pay.

police are not saying when the alleged contact took place. anthony batts described 39-year- old simon as a 813-year veteran. they received a complaint against simon alleging he had assaulted a female. commissioners bats would not take any questions about the case. police are not releasing any details about the investigation except simon was on duty at the time of the alleged assault. he has been suspended and there is an internal investigation. >> this agency is committed to keeping people accountable for misconduct. i have no tolerance for misconduct or officers that violate the public's trust. >> 11 news was unable to reach officer simon for comment. kim dacey, wbal-tv 11 news.

>> the maryland puppeteer that performs as elmo is taking a leave of absence. kevin clash is accused of having a relationship with a boy. he is saddened the accuser is characterizing the relationship as something other than it was. other public tours will fill in for clash during his absence. that brings us to our water cooler question of the day. do think the allegations will have a negative impact on the elmo character? you can share your response on wbaltv.com, on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. police confirmed a weekend brawl involving two motorcycle gangs. brandon quinet and allen lull jr. face assault charges.

the gangs have been identified. one man was taken to the hospital after being hit by a rubber mallet. a house fire in severn. the fire caused $350,000 worth of damage to the house. the three people inside the house did escape unharmed. >> the road to 2014 is already open. in a new survey, hilly clinton is the clear favorite in the iowa 2016 caucuses. governor o'malley did not register in that poll. he has a better odds in the

hypothetical poll. lawmakers return to capitol hill today to get back to business. hallie jackson joins us live with the latest. the over arching concern is the fiscal cliff. >> we are talking about topics that congress has put off for two years. the post office is running at of money. farmers looking for help are running at of patients. congress is running out of time. >> you will see a lot of leverage games, getting down to business will be after thanksgiving. >> the biggest shadow belongs to the fiscal cliff, the threat of

tax increases and spending cuts that come with a deadline. >> a lot of bad things could happen. the other is they kick the can down the road. >> it could suck up all the band with in congress. >> these things tend to squeak through because everybody is focused on the big issue and the little fights aren't as divisive. >> decisions over the debt ceiling and possibly immigration reform. one of the first things members of congress have to do is look at who will look at the leadership roles moving forward. members of the senate will meet tomorrow to talk about that. in the house, whether nancy

pelosi will stay on as her role. >> is impossible some may get folded into the discussion about the fiscal cliff? >> you could see some of these used as negotiations tactics. we could see a farm bill worked into a broader piece of legislation. >> some very interesting discussions. hallie jackson, thank you. >> 46 degrees at the airport. >> los angeles is encouraging its residents to curb their intake of the food group. going vegetarian on a certain day of the week. >> this is the beltway at baltimore national pike. hqhqhqhq

>> welcome back. 5:10. we have some light rain in the area. give yourself a few extra minutes to start the day. first elected the radar -- first a look at the radar. the rate should clear up this afternoon. 45 in randallstown -- the rain should clear up this afternoon. breezy and much cooler than the

last couple of days. it will clear up this afternoon. coming up, the seven-day forecast. >> the top commander in afghanistan is now under investigation in relationship to the general david petraeus sex scandal. paula broadwell warned a woman to stay away from general petraeus. the pentagon is now investigating a general allen. five people died inside a to home. homledo investigators do not believe the deaths were accidental. >> a new resolution encouraging

residents to participate in meatless mondays. it is completely voluntary. the sponsors were concerned about nutrition at would hold more veggie mondays. >> interesting. i cannot wait for bacon thursday. 5:12. two more major retailers announce that will open their doors to shoppers before black friday. >> getting the best bang for your buck with gift cards. >>o

>> now insta-weather plus and traffic pulse 11 together. >> good morning. sarah caldwell checking on your morning commute. we have water main breaks in several locations. they are a leftover from yesterday. closures remain in effect in rosedale at philadelphia road. watch for those closures once again. madison street and over towards calvert, shut down because of a water main break. charles street and 21st street, another water main breaks.

about 11 minutes on the north or west sides. not bad in terms of delays. a quick live look at traffic on 795 at owings mills. southbound traffic is building. no delays down towards the beltway. this is 95 at the fort mchenry. area bridges checking out fine. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. now let's get the latest on the buses and the trains. welcome back. >> we have water main breaks affecting the buses. the 35 bus diverting at madison and greenmount. the 64 bus diverting mayor charles street. -- diverting near charles

street. light rail and metro subway both on time. i'm kurt kronke. >> good morning. get ready for it be changed today temperature-wise. it was in the 60's yesterday. we have a cold front moving through the state. temperatures drop off into the 20's on the other side of the mountains. we will not drop into the 20's. we will dip into the 40's. right now it is much colder with temperatures in the 40's. 49 in rock hall. temperatures are going to go down.

light to moderate rain back into the mountains. it will take a couple of hours to get through. then the rain will taper off. you can see the clouds break up in western pennsylvania and into west virginia. we should get some sunshine later today. 40's to start today. rain likely this morning. partly cloudy this afternoon. clearing and colder tonight, " 30 low 30's. temperatures will stay below average. 50's on wednesday.

it will be dry going into the beginning of the weekend. next chance for rain on sunday and monday. >> two retailers not waiting for black friday. target and toys "r" us will open their doors on thanksgiving night. target is promising deep discounts on electronics. toys "r" us is offering free good begs for the first 200 customers in line -- free goody bags. how can you make the most of your gift cards? >> the gift card game has changed over the last few years.

a new survey shows consumers still need to be aware of what they are buying. 63 gift cards were not look tat. 55 from retailers and restaurants. purchase fees range from $2.95 to $6.95. the trade-off is more freedom. >> the flexibility it gives the person you give the gift card to. it limits it but there are fewer fees. >> two-thirds said they would replace lost or stolen cards. >> look on the back of the gift card to see what you need to do to protect yourself.

>> 95% of the cards survey did not have an expiration date. >> a special at starbucks this week. a closer look at the skies. jane king has the bloomberg business report. good morning. >> good morning. congress heading back to work today. the biggest issue it needs to handle it is the fiscal cliff. $1 billion in automatic budget cuts. bloomberg found an internal survey shows 102 air-traffic control towers are open all night but they do not have enough air traffic to justify being open 24 hours a day.

members of congress have tried to block attempts to cut tower hours or consolidate the work. we hardly moved on wall street yesterday. many people on the sidelines. stock futures party to a lower start to things. starbucks had help from sales from their gingerbread mocha. starbucks offering a two-for-one deal. they want to get you hooked and that is the way to boost traffic during slow periods of the day. at the new york stock exchange, i'm jane king, bloomberg news, for wbal-tv 11 news. >> there could be sticker shock

for those buying a used car. >> used cars are getting more expensive. the company behind twinkies continuing to have problems with their labor unions. >> a shortage of twinkies? oh, no! thank you. we did this about six months ago. >> 5:23. 46 degrees at the airport. a large convention comes to a close in baltimore. >> don't forget to e-mail us your response to our water cooler question of the day. do think the allegations will have a negative impact on the elmo character? you can share your response at wbaltv.com and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to

watercooler@wbaltv.com.

>> the general assembly wraps up today here in baltimore. >> elie wiesel spoke at the convention. >> israel is still in danger. israel is still threatened and still needs the jews more than ever before. we have not mobil lost our people for israel -- we have not mobilized our people, not enough. the convention is

under way. church leaders will not change their strategy on gay marriage. maryland voted to legalize gay marriage. the bishops will consider making a comment on the state of the economy. >> 5:27. >> a baltimore city police officer is suspended after allegations of misconduct. >> more traffic headaches in and around baltimore because of water main breaks. >> we continue to track closures. >> temperatures will be changing over the next 24 hours andw=!nño

>> you're watching wbal-tv 11.

live, local, late-breaking. this is 11 news today at 5:00 a.m. >> good morning. welcome back to 11 news today. i'm stan stovall. >> and i'm mindy basara. thanks for joining us for 11 news today. the nice weather is over. >> pretty much. we have some rain to contend with this morning. pretty solid area of rain. it is enough to slow the traffic down. it will take a couple of hours to get through. we will struggle to get above 50 degrees. the rain will go away and the sun will come out. it will be a little windy. a big change coming up today. >> we have the wet leaves around

the area. you may need a few extra minutes. we have three water main breaks. there is one in rosedale at philadelphia road. another at guilford and madison street. charles street and 21st street, continued watermen closures -- continued water main closures. 11 minutes in the outer loop west side on 795 down towards 95 on the south side. you can see the roads are wet. this is 95 at the fort mchenry. harbor tunnel traffic looks about the same.

no delays at the area bridges. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> an investigation into serious allegations into a baltimore city police officer. >> the officer is accused of assaulting a woman while on duty. kim dacey has the latest on the investigation. >> officer elliott simon has been suspended without pay. police are not saying when the alleged contact took place. they just learned about it over the weekend. anthony batts described 39- year-old simon as a 13-year veteran. he was assigned to the northwest police district. police are not releasing his picture. they received a complaint against simon alleging he had assaulted a female. >> this agency is to keeping

people accountable for -- >> this agency is committed to keeping people accountable for misconduct. i have no tolerance for misconduct or officers that violate the public's trust. >> the commissioner would not take any questions about the case. simon was on duty at the time of the assaults. the complaint was made to the department's special investigation section and forwarded on to internal affairs. >> at this point, these are simply allegations and the investigation has been forwarded for further investigation. >> 11 news was unable to reach office assignment for comment. kim dacey, wbal-tv 11 news. >> city police are looking for

more information into a double shooting in northwest baltimore. officers responded and found an adult male suffering from a gunshot wound. then they found a second victim with similar injuries. >> a person is in critical condition after a shooting. police found the victim unconscious suffered a gunshot wound to the head. police all looking for two meant that attacked a taco bell manager. this is a 30-year-old gary graham. the incident happened on sunday morning. gary graham was shot several times. >> a number of water main breaks are affecting traffic this

morning. water was sent into the streets of the mount vernon area of the city. guilford from monument to madison remain closed this morning as is the off ramp to pilfered from the j.f.x. there was a break in rosedale on philadelphia road and affected water service at nearby franklin square hospital. this happens five days after it 60 inch main burst on charles streets. >> a contractor allegedly supplied and took their money. here is a preview of my investigation airing tonight. he shelled out $3,500 to the man who promised to replace her roof but he did not do the job.

>> this kind of money is not something we can give away. we trusted him. >> george hired the same contractor to replace his roof. >> he never showed up. >> he went wrong? can we talk to you? what happens when we tried to speak to the man they hired. >> 5:36. 46 degrees at the airport. keeping your cholesterol down is an important part of staying healthy. details coming up. >> don't forget to e-mail us your response to our water cooler question of the day. do think the allegations against elmo creator kevin clash will have a negative impact on the elmo character? you can share your response at wbaltv.com and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to

watercooler@wbaltv.com. >> we have word of an accident in the white marsh area.

>> welcome back. we have some rain to start the day. a big change in the temperatures coming up. we will go from the 60's to the 40's today. the rain should clear up this afternoon. we should get some sunshine this afternoon. the temperatures are not gone to move a lot today. it will be breezy so it will

feel even cooler. sunshine should breakthrough later today. >> some new research suggests statin use might lower the risk of death by cancer. >> data of nearly 300,000 patients diagnosed with cancer. cancer patients taking cholesterol lowering drugs work 50% less likely to die during the study period. the findings are intriguing and exciting and further of more research. a common practice might not be necessary. >> there is no need for patience too fast before getting their

cholesterol checked. some doctors are rethinking that strategy. result did not differ much between those who fasted and those who did not. >> 46 degrees at the airport. >> pittsburgh has a short week after playing monday night football. >> the rain will be going away soon enough.

>> now insta-weather plus and traffic pulse 11 together. >> first accident of the morning coming in along white marsh boulevard. be careful. maybe some lanes closed there.

leaves.r what belieet watch for water main repair in the city at madison. charles street at 21st street, continued closures. it is a mess in terms of those problems. here's a quick, live look at traffic. client except in the white marsh area -- volume picks up in the white marsh area. you may need a few extra minutes this morning. we have a buildup in volume on 295 down towards 32. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. now let's get the latest on the buses and the trains. for that we go to kurt kronke of the mta system. good morning. >> good morning.

we have trains running 20 minutes late on the brunswick line. mden and penn trains running on time. a diversion on the 35 bus at madison. we have some diversions at charles and north. the 60's is diverting because of construction -- the 60 bus is diverting because of construction. >> we will be lucky to get out of the 40's today. it is chilly and breezy. temperatures in the 20's on the other side of the mountains. we now have a chance to recover

temperature-wise this afternoon. 45 at the airport. temperatures will probably drop off another 3 or four degrees. the sun will come out this afternoon. pretty solid area of rain from the baltimore down to hagerstown. it will take three or four hours for the rain to go through. we can see the breaks in the clouds in western pennsylvania and west virginia on the satellite. that will move in today. it will turn a breezy and chilly this afternoon deals. becoming partly cloudy this afternoon. high temperatures in the upper 40's and low 50's.

temperatures drop back into the 30's tomorrow morning. we will stay below average for the next several days. 50 on wednesday. the next chance for rain should hold off until sunday and monday. >> thank you. if you have started your holiday shopping, there are some new movies out on dvd. >> raphael seth has a look at the new releases. >> if i wasn't part of the movie -- >> a casting call in "brave.' she brings women's lib to the

higher ranks. she wins the contest herself. there is a curse the will take her courage and skill. >> i'm in to what you're doing. >> "the watch." they form a watch program in the suburbs. they discover evidence of extraterrestrial is living among them. >> the story is about beach and see and hell. >> a homegrown can in this operation -- canibus operation. >> the critics have a client his talent. his name is peter o'toole.

>> one of hollywood's hottest stars in "lawrence of arabia." >> hours of bonus features. the film location was so hot. >> no way! how about that? >> 5:49. the ravens start preparing for the steelers. >> we have highlights of next in sports. >> here is a look at last night's winning maryland lottery numbers.

>> time to get to your answers to our water cooler question of the day. this morning we asked, do think the allegations against elmo creator kevin clash will have a negative impact on the elmo character?

>> keep sending us those responses. we will read more in the next hour. >> good morning. steelers week is upon us. it is the final seven game stretch for the division crown. this year, there's a brennan return guy -- there is a brand new return guy. a very quiet off season pickup that is showing a major dividends. >> he was right in that family.

he tossed the ball to his mom. they had a little dance going. i don't remember the dance itself. the one is to demonstrate a -- do you want us to demonstrate it? >> kansas city was not a push over. the chiefs visiting the steelers. monday night football last night. first quarter, a touchdown and it was 7 chiefs early. ben roethlisberger to mike wallace. fantastic catch. ben roethlisberger would leave the game with an injury.

this game would go to overtime. matt cassel was picked off here by lawrence timmons of pittsburgh which would set up a perfect game winning field goal opportunity for shaun suisham. 16-13 in overtime in favor of pittsburg. pittsburgh is one game behind baltimore. the managers of the years will be an ounce. it comes down to bob nelson and buck showalter of baltimore. i think this isn't close. the orioles were supposed to finish last place and they took the division race down to the final game of the regular- season and fell just short to the yankees.

that award will be announced tonight. i will be upset if he doesn't get it. thank you. >> 0260 in three seconds -- zero in three seconds for this lamborghini. >> another military general investigated by the pentagon. >> staying on top of your health is a major party, especially when you're pregnant. >> expect a big change in the temperatures. >> tracking an accident along white marsh boulevard. closures coming up.

>> a baltimore city police officer stands accused of sexually assaulting a woman while on duty. >> lawmakers flock to capitol hill for the start of the lame- duck session. >> the man behind a children's character is the subject of a scandalous allegations. tell us what you think in today's water cooler question. >> the forecast as we continue. [captioning made possible by constellation energy group] captioned by the national captioning institute national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--